Category Archives: custom wine cellar cooling

Uses for a Wine Cellar in the Home

home wine cellar Texas

You Can Have a Functional and Appealing Home Wine Cellar with the Help of an Expert

If you have asked yourself if you need a wine cellar in your home, then you already have your answer. Just asking the question means that you have gone beyond the normal wine drinker who may have a few bottles on hand for the occasional dinner party or night in.

Because a home wine cellar (and, let’s face it, wine) is an investment, you should be thinking about the type of custom wine cellar you want in your home, not just whether you want one.

Your wine cellar should grow with you and your collection, and unless you’re not planning to sell your home, then your wine room should be built in such a way that it will appeal to someone other than you.

A Residential Custom Wine Cellar may be a nice incentive for someone buying a home, so make sure it has broad appeal.

One benefit to having a wine cellar of your own, is it allows you to buy wine in bulk. Wine by the case is less expensive than one or two bottles.

Wine by the case is also less expensive when it is young, and if you know wine (and if you want a wine cellar in your home, then you must know wine), these young wines, once mature, will taste better and result in a larger return on your investment. It also allows you to purchase larger quantities of a wine that you discover and particularly enjoy, to assure that you will be able to have a stock of it for the future.

Home Wine Room Chicago

How will you use your wine cellar (in other words, what prompted you to ask the question in the first place?)? Will you use it strictly for storage, will you also use it as a tasting room, or is it to be a showplace? How you plan to use it is important to know, because that can affect the way you construct your room, or at least the size of it and how the racking is designed.

If your wine cellar will be used just for storage, then think about how many bottles of wine you currently have as well as how many bottles of wine you plan to accumulate.

Your cellar should be able to grow with you and your collection. Make sure you can maximize the bottle storage for the space you have. If you want a wine room and think that you just don’t have the space, look around at unused areas. Do you have a stairwell? And, if you do, can you build out underneath it? Unused closets? Maybe you use it to build out a cellar.

Residential Wine Cellars Designed and Installed by Wine Cellar Specialists in Texas and Chicago

VintageView Wine Cellars, Metal with Wood Coppel TX Project – Near Dallas

custom wine cellar Coppel Texas

Metal and Wood Custom Wine Cellar in Texas

This contemporary home wine cellar is located under the curved staircase. The racking is made of metal and wood, resulting in a unique wine storage space.

Chevis Home Wine Cellar with a Rolling Ladder – Dallas, Texas

Installed with attractive mahogany wine racks, this residential wine cellar aesthetically appealing and offers great features. A rolling ladder was added for easy access to bottles stored beyond normal reach.

Contemporary Custom Wine Cellar – White Rock Lake Area, Dallas, Texas

This modern design was created by Wine Cellar Specialists for their client in Dallas, Texas. The metal wine racks from Vintage View are mounted on the wall, creating a sophisticated custom wine display.

Dave Custom Wine Cellar with Barrel Table – Palos Heights Chicago Illinois

Located in the basement, this home wine cellar displays the owner’s wines in unfinished redwood wine racks. A wine barrel table was added to add a distinct look to the wine room.

An Efficient Wine Refrigeration System is Essential for Proper Home Wine Storage

wine cooling systems for Texas and Chicacago wine cellars

Wine Refrigeration Systems

Where you build the room will be dictated by the ability to install your climate control system. Controlling the temperature is critical to ensuring your collection is protected and continues to grow in value.

When the ideal temperature (55-65 degrees Fahrenheit) is maintained in a cellar, wine will not be oxidized. Oxidation causes off flavors and discoloration in wine.

Additionally, an efficient wine cooling system also regulates humidity levels need in preserving wine’s quality. Humidity levels higher or lower than the normal range (60-70%) will damage the corks and wine labels.

View the different types and brands of wine cooling systems.

If you have considered building a wine cellar in your home, then don’t ask yourself if you should build one; ask, instead, how big you want it to be and what will go inside of it.

Wine racks are the framework of your custom wine cellar.

Whether you are building your wine cellar for storage or display, you must take into consideration what kind of racking system you want. Wine racks make your wine cellar collection organized. A well-organized collection of wine is not only pleasing to the eyes but it’s also practical for the owner. You won’t have a hard time trying to find any particular wine you want in your collection.

What wine rack should you use for your custom wine cellar?

Enhance the appearance of your wine cellar with a wooden rack.

Revamp your custom wine cellar with a wooden wine rack.

Wine racking systems come in all shapes and sizes. There are two major types of wine racks. First, there’s the wooden rack. Then, there’s the metallic racking system. What material to use depends on your preference, how large your wine collection, and the reason you are building a wine cellar.

Wooden racks are good insulators. These racks lessen the heat going through your wine bottles. This feature is favorable since heat could trigger premature spoilage of your wines. And, wooden racks give your wine cellar a classy and traditional look.

Metallic racks, on the other hand, give your custom wine cellar a modern and contemporary look. These racks are known for their durability and strength. Given they are installed in an optimum wine cellar condition, metallic racks are easy to maintain.

Whether you’ll be using your custom wine cellar for storage or display, making a well-informed decision on what wine rack to use could make the most of the functionality for each variant.

An Expert Can Handle Temperature & Humidity Challenges in Chicago Custom Wine Cellars

Chicago wine cellar

Chicago Home Wine Cellar Installed with a Cooling System

Poor conditions can be detrimental to wine. Investing in a climate-controlled wine room can protect your investment from harmful external factors.

Wine Cellar Specialists offers a turnkey solution for clients who want to have a custom wine cellar in Chicago that has the ability to maintain the right temperature and humidity levels.

Temperature and Humidity – Factors that Affect Wine Quality

A wine storage room is much more than the wine you choose to store inside it. In fact, the wine, contrary to what you might think, is less a factor in an effective wine cellar than the cellar itself.

For Chicago custom wine cellars of course, ultimately, the wine inside your wine room is what will matter, but in the beginning, and, to some degree, going forward, the cellar itself is what will make or break your collection.

The optimum conditions in a wine cellar can be achieved by regulating the temperature and humidity.

Optimum Conditions Needed by Wine for Proper Maturation

Chicago Wine Cellar Design

Without the right temperature and humidity in your wine cellar, and in less than ideal conditions, the wine you hope to one day enjoy or sell (wine as investment is not as rare as you may think) will not be there.

Ideal Wine Cellar Temperature

wine cellar temperature Chicago

A Stable Temperature Keeps Wine at Its Best

In order to preserve wine’s complex characteristics, it needs to be stored in a room where the wine cellar temperature is approximately between 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wine Cellar Humidity

In addition to temperature, humidity can indirectly affect the quality of your wine. Your wine cellar should be able to keep the humidity level between 50-75%.

Too low of a humidity level in your Chicago wine cellar may dry out the cork, allowing unwanted oxygen to get into the bottle. When this happens, oxidation occurs. Oxidation causes off flavors and flat aromas in wine. It also causes wine discoloration. Premature browning in reds and a deeper yellow color in whites are indications that wine has been oxidized.

Too high a humidity level can trigger mold growth that can damage the wine labels and wine racks.

Achieve Proper Storage Conditions by Careful Planning and Choosing the Cooling System Ideal for Chicago Custom Wine Cellars

Wine-Guardian-split-cooling-system

Wine Guardian Refrigeration System Offered by Wine Cellar Specialists Chicago

With some careful planning, forward-thinking, and the right cellar, how you want your wine to be when you one day drink it is achievable and very possible.

Some people choose to build their Chicago custom wine cellar in a basement, and while this may be the best space in your home in which to create a cellar, (assuming you actually have a basement), keep in mind that the conditions in your basement are not necessarily ideal for wine storage or more importantly the proper aging of your wine collection.

Also, you should create an environmentally controlled space for your wine collection.

Installing a Refrigeration System Can Help Maintain Constant Temperature and Humidity in Chicago Wine Cellars

wine cellar cooling system

Wine Cooling System Can Protect Your Investment

wine cooling system should be protecting your collection and investment.

So make sure that regardless of the conditions outside, or even in your home, you are using an efficient refrigeration unit.

Such a system also means that your cellar does not have to be in a basement.

Effective wine cellar cooling units correctly controlling your wine rooms climate means the sky is the limit when it comes to cellar location, or is at least only limited by the size of your home.

 

Location of Your Wine Room Should be Considered When Choosing the Type of Cooling System

Of course, where you place your wine cellar is based on how a cooling system can be installed. If installing a self-contained unit, you need to be able to vent directly through the wall outside (only units specifically designed for extreme conditions) or to another room that is heat and air-conditioned and is at least twice the size of your cellar.(the most cost-effective method.)

If using a split system, you can place your condenser up to 50 feet from the evaporator and either copper lines or ducting might be used. There are many ways and types of cooling systems.

Avoid These Common Custom Wine Cellar Cooling Mistakes

Wine Mold in Chicago Custom Wine Cellars

Whether it’s traditional or modern custom wine cellars, proper cooling systems are required to prevent wine molding.

Knowing the right thing to do doesn’t mean you’ll end up with no mistakes during the process. Even if you’re knowledgeable about proper custom wine cellar cooling, there’s always room for error (as well as improvements). That said, you should avoid these common mistakes when dealing with a cooling unit:

  • Blending or mixing hot air exhaust and fresh air intake — the cooling unit won’t work correctly if it re-uses its hot exhaust air. If you’re challenged by room space, there are various types of cooling units to choose from, such as a split system, ducted system, and self-contained system.
  • Making the wine cellar the source of fresh air — make sure that fresh air will come from an external source and not within the cellar to ensure proper airflow. 
  • Not paying attention to the cooling unit’s extreme temperature capability — as a custom wine cellar owner, you should be familiar with the capacity of your cooling unit. There are seasons when the temperature is extreme. Make sure the custom wine cellar cooling unit is capable of adapting to a consistently changing environment.
  • Picking a cooling unit based on one factor — never ever choose a cooling unit based on one factor. A lot of things can affect humidity. Not only the size of the wine cellar itself but also the walls that surround it. Whether it’s glass, wood, or any specific material that encloses a wine cellar, this affects the thermal load of a room which contributes to the humidity level.

Consult a Wine Cellar Specialist to Determine What Can Be Used in Your Situation

You must choose the correct cooling unit for your Chicago custom wine cellar so that it cools efficiently for your particular conditions. Not only the size of the room but the insulation, the door, where the cellar is located inside the home are all factors when determining the correct size of the unit.

At Wine Cellar Specialists, they make a careful assessment of their client’s needs to ensure that all the components are of high quality and installed properly.

Heat Load Calculation

Wine Guardian Refrigeration Unit Installed by a Chicago Expert

Wine Guardian Refrigeration Unit Installed by a Chicago Expert

A wine cellar specialist can do a heat load calculation to determine the size of unit that you will need. The correct unit can be counted on to keep your wine collection safe. Do not size your cooling unit solely by the cubic footage of your wine cellar. A heat load calculation will take into account the size of your room as well as the amount of insulation, glass, the number of doors, interior and exterior walls, etc. to determine the amount of BTUH needed to correctly cool your room.

You will find that temperature and humidity will become common words around your home, as these are the two aspects in your cellar that are keys to proper wine storage.

Digital Control – an Important Feature of Cooling Units for Chicago Custom Wine Cellars

Wine Cooling Unit Digital Controller

Wine Cooling Unit Digital Controller

Most wine cellar cooling units have digital controls. This type of control allows you to monitor the temperature in your cellar, and tell you instantly if there are any changes.

The cooling units automatically run in cycles to maintain the correct temperature.

Digital controls are part of most units, but is offered as an option, consider going with it, even if it adds to the price of your unit.

Protect Your Wines from Being Damaged. Contact a Professional.

Wine Cellar Specialists - Wine Cellar Builder in Chicago

Wine Cellar Specialists – a Reliable Wine Cellar Cooling Expert

Prevent wine spoilage by choosing a wine cellar cooling expert in Chicago. Let Wine Cellar Specialists help you determine the refrigeration system that can maintain the ideal temperature and humidity in your wine room.

Contact them today at 866-646-7089 or request a 3-D wine cellar design for FREE!